Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you probably have or know someone that has a Myspace account. Unlike the majority of users on Myspace posting glitter-pictures & cute little surveys about their boy-band of choice, I use mine as a point of reference. A way to connect with other atheists, humanists, scientists, and rationals. I also like to debate. I have many theistic friends who LOVE to challenge me on religious debates. To this, I have no isssue... I have a standard ruleset for debate on my forum, and expect everyone to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion. Keep it "above the belt", and don't take things personally. One individual, an old & dear friend, sadly crossed the line. I share this with my fellow rational-minded kindred, as I know every one of us has had to deal with situations such as this from old & dear friends. It can be tough, but sometimes it needs to be done.
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"I'm your friend, but seriously Ratt? You try to disprove God too much. Why can't you just drop the subject & respect my beliefs? i respect your beliefs, even though they're wrong. i still respect them because i dont try to preach. remember mr. atheist, if you're living like there's no God, you'd better be right. as for those articles you write, and blogs you maintain, you owe me and all chirstians a big apology."

Hmm. An apology? Ok, I'm sorry. I was just trying to bring some intelligent & rational thought to people who need it. Problem is, most people are afraid to consider that they, and society at large, might be wrong... even when confronted with evidence.

They'd rather just close their eyes, ignore the facts, and continue believing the mythology they've been raised with... out of fear. Deep down, they're afraid that everything they thought was "real" isn't, or the "God" concept has been ingrained in their heads so deeply that they fear judgment or punishment. How convoluted one's mentality must be to REJECT VALIDATED SCIENCE in favor of a story-book? As parents, we tell our children that monsters under the bed are imaginary, and not to be afraid of them. Yet this same principle is lost to Christian parents.

To a child, a monster under the bed can be a very real and scary thing. What else could those "bumps in the night" and "shadows" be caused by? But the parent assures the child that these things are imaginary, even shows the child proof that there's nothing under his bed, and have no reason to be frightened. To a theist, a loving but vengeful God can be a very real and scary thing. What else could those "miracles" and "mysterious ways" be caused by? But the rational atheist assures the theist that these things are imaginary, even shows the theist proof that there's nothing up above him that would strike him down, and have no reason to be frightened. why?

So yeah, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that people still can't shake their fear. I'm sorry that a group of manipulative people have brainwashed the blind & ignorant masses into living and believing lies for capital gain. i'm sorry to see that some of those people are my own friends. friends that (other than their god-disease) are great intelligent people with the potential to make great advancements in our universal understanding. but most of all, i'm sorry that our theistic brethren waste so much time & effort to convince others that their imgainary friend is real.

If Christians could just put the money, dedication, and fervency that they dedicate to religious domination into something scientific like, oh i don't know... CURING AIDS, we as a society might actually improve. until then, i'm going to continue my activism of disproving this fallacy called God as simplistically as possible, in the hope that one day someone (or a group of someones) makes the jump from theological prison to intellectual freedom. we as humans cannot expect to advance while adhering to archaic myths; advancement takes science, and science has no room for god.

Remember, christians: without rational & scientific atheists, you'd have no computer to type your hate mail!
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*** As of today, 1-7-07, the young lady who started this whole chain has cancelled her Wed. night bible-study class in order to spend the evening with Dawkins' "The God Delusion". Perhaps there's hope yet!